Apparatus for removing ink from the inking rollers of printing presses



March 2, 1954 w. M. POLLOCK ETAL APPARATUS FOR REMOVING INK FROM THE INKING ROLLERS OF PRINTING PRESSES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 25, 1949 March 2, 1954 w POLLOCK AL 2,670,681 I APPARATUS R VING F M THE INKING ROL S PRINTING P SE5 Filed NOV. 25. 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 .3} B Q (ML; n 3

M r 1954 w. M. POLLOCK ETAL APPARATUS FOR REMOVING INK FROM THE INKING ROLLERS OF PRINTING PRESSES 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Ncw'. 25. 1949 I N VENTOR MM/7 WW 1% w.

Patented Mar. 2, 1954 APPARATUS FOR REMOVING INK FROM THE INKING ROLLERS OF PRINTING PRESSES Willard M. Pollock, Short Hills, and Arthur W.

Sejeck, Scotch Plains, N. J., assignors to American Type Founders, Inc., a corporation of New Jersey Application November 25, 1949, Serial N 0. 129,401

3 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for removing ink from the inking rollers of printing presses or the like and particularly to a mechanism of this class which includes a scraping member adapted to be brought into contact, at an appropriate time, with one of the inking cylinders of the inking mechanism and to scrape ink from the surface of that cylinder as it revolves. The invention contemplates the use of an elongated, relatively thin and transversely flexible scraping blade together with an improved means for supporting or mounting the blade upon the frame of the printing press, or like machine, in association with which the apparatus is employed.

It has heretofore been the practice to provide ink removal apparatus with ink scraping or removal blades fabricated of relatively stiff sheet metal and to utilize blades which are shorter in length than the cylinders against which they are brought to bear. A scraping blade which is shorter than the inking cylinder or roller against which it is brought tobear will not, of course, remove ink from the surface of the cylinderat or adjacent the cylinder ends, leaving bands of ink which must be removed by other means. Ink removal mechanism of types heretofore frequently employed have likewise, by reason of the inclusion of relatively stiff metallic scraping blades, become imperfect in function after extensive use because of the fact that the blades have worn away unequally at various points instead of uniformly from end to end. Not only does a stiff or relatively inflexible blade .tend to wear unequally at various points along its length but it likewise tends to score or injure the surface of the inking roller which, of course, eventually results in noticeably inferior inking operations. The transversely flexible blade contemplated by the present invention, on the other hand, bears upon the cylinder surface in suchmanner as to result in equal wear of blade and cylinder and, by reason of certain novel features of the blade and the means for mounting the same upon the press, it may be made substantially longer than the cylinder from the surface of which ink is to be removed so that the entire surface of this cylinder, and hence the entire surfaces of the other cylinders of the inking mechanism, may be wholly freed of ink when such removal is desired.

The improved blade is mounted upon and supported by a blade holder of novel construction and the blade holder is in turn connected to the frame of the press by improved supporting means,

it being a purpose of the invention to provide the press operator with a blade holder which may be easily assembled or disassembled with the press, which may be adjusted easily and accurately so as to enable the operator to control its action quite precisely, and which is likewise of simple and durable construction and easily understood by any press operator.

One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, by way of example. It will be appreciated that minor changes in details of design and arrangement of the component elements of the apparatus may be adopted without departure from the invention, particularly in designing the apparatus for use in association with inking mechanisms which vary somewhat in character.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of the frame of a printing press, showing in end elevation certain of the inking rollers and the novel and improved ink removal mechanism;

Figure 2 shows in plan, partly broken away,

one end of the unit comprising the scraping blade and its holder, together with the means for mounting that end of the blade holder upon the adjacent side frame member of the press;

Figure 3 is a view showing portions of the side frame members of the press, an inking cylinder, and the improved ink removal apparatus, as these parts would be seen when viewed from the line 33 in Figure 1; V

Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Figure 3; and

Figures 5, 6, '7 and 8 are sections on lines 5- 5,

6-5, l-! and 88, respectively, of Figurez. The side frame members of the press may vary widely in size and shape, depending upon the type of press to which the ink removal mechanism is applied and in the drawings only two small sections of these side frame members, indicated at 10 and II respectively, are illustrated. The inking mechanism comprises a plurality of inking rollers disposed with their horizontally arranged and in parallelism, and the ink is initially applied to the surface of one roller and is transferred from the surface of that roller to the surfaces of successive contacting rollers in the usual manner. Certain rollers will oscillate axially as they rotate, also in conventional manner, but the means for effecting such oscillation and rotation comprises no portion of the present invention and is', therefore, not illustrated.

A relatively large ink drum mounted for rota tion and axial oscillation is indicated at H in the drawings and additional rollers are indicated at 13, I4 and I5, respectively, the remaining rollers of the series not being illustrated. Certain of these rollers are rubber covered, including rollers l3 and 14 which are in contact with the drum l 2. It will be observed that the trunnions 16 of roller l3 are rotatably received within bearings ll. Each of these bearings is disposed within a slot or pocket formed in a member l8 which is afiixed to the inner face of the side frame member I0. Members l8 are provided with additional pairs of upwardly opening pockets 20, 2| and 22, adapted to receive the trunnions or trunnion bearings of additional rollers, the arrangement being such that the rollers may be lifted upwardly and disengaged from the supporting members I8, whenever desired, without requiring the removal of any other portion of the press as a preliminary operation. Heretofore it has been necessary, in practically every instance where an ink removal apparatus has been employed, to remove such apparatus as a step preliminary to the removal of the inking rollers. By mounting the rollers in the manner described this becomes unnecessary.

The ink removal mechanism includes a scraping blade 25 which is adapted to be brought into engagement with the surface of the ink drum [2 when it is desired to free the inking cylinders of ink. Blade 25 is generally rectangular and is relatively long and narrow, being slightly longer than drum [2. It is transversely flexible and, in operation, will usually be flexed to a substantial degree, as shown in Figure 4 of the drawings, so that its free edge closely engages the cylindrical surface of the drum at all times. The roller engaging surface of the blade is a relatively narrow, elongated surface, generally indicated at 25c, closely adjacent that edge of the blade which is free or unsupported when the scraping apparatus is in operative position, this surface then facing downwardly and resting against the cylindrical surface of the drum l2, all as shown clearly in Figure 4.

A relatively wide marginal portion of the blade, remote from the drum engaging surface 25a, rests upon and is secured to the blade holder. The blade holder comprises the trough 2'5, which is L-shaped in transverse section, and the clamping plate 21, the relatively wide margin 25b of the blade 25 being interposed between the lower member of the trough and the clamping plate and these members being maintained in clamping engagement with the blade by means of screws 28 which extend through aligned apertures in the plate and trough, as may be observed from an inspection of Figure 4. The clamping plate 21 projects forwardly of the trough and its leading edge 21a comprises a fulcrum about which the blade may flex when in use, likewise .as illustrated .in Figure 4. It will be observed in this figure that that portion of the scraping blade 25 which extends forwardly of the trough 2B is reversely curved in cross section, having .a relatively narrow portion immediately in advance of the trough with a radius of curvature R," and a wider portion next adjacent the free edge of the blade having a longer radius of curvature R The radii of curvature will, of course, be varied in accordance with the degree of pressure with which the drum contacting surface of the blade is pressed against the surface or the drum but, in any event, the blade will include a relatively widesection in advance of the supporting trough and the blade holder will include means defining a fulcrum or blade contacting means such as 270; intermediate the free edge of the blade and its gripped marginal portion 25?).

As may be observed from an inspection of Figures 2 and 3, the blade and its holder are both longer than drum l2, the ends of these members projecting beyond the ends of the drum. The clamping block 2'! is somewhat shorter than the underlying, generally horizontal portion of the trough 25 so that there is space, adjacent each end of the blade and beyond the corresponding end of the clamping block, for a sealing strip 30,- relatively narrow, and the length of which is substantially the same as the width of the blade, as shown in Figure 7. The outer end of the sealing strip 30, which strip may be fabricated of hard rubber, leather, or the like, is secured to the end ofthe blade by means of a bolt 3| and the remaining portion of the sealing strip is clamped between the lower member of trough 26 and the clamping block 33, securing screws '34 passing through aligned apertures in block 33 and sealing strip 3!! and extending into threaded apertures in the trough. The sealing strips serve to prevent the escape, from the end of the trough, of ink which is removed by the blade from the cylinder surface and likewise perform the additional function of supporting the ends of the scraping blade and stiffening the same against deflection. Without the sealing and supporting strips 30 those portions of the blade near its ends would not maintain full and fair contact with the surface of the ink drum ['2 and the blade would not function to clean in a'satisfactory manner the surfaces of the drum near its ends.

The holder is provided with handles 35 by means of which it may be conveniently lifted and transported, with a conventional valve controlled ink drainage tube 36. As shown most clearly in' Figure 8 of the drawings, each handle 35 forms portion of a block which is rigidly secured, as by means of screws 31, to the lower 7 member of the trough 26 and each such block 3 8 is formed with a groove 38a, opening downwardly and extending transversely to the longitudinal axis of the blade and blade holder, one such groove being illustrated in Figure 8 and being shown to be rectangular in transverse section. Each groove 38a receives with a sliding fit a post 4i, these posts being disposed in parallelism and comprising inclined guides or track members along which the blade holder may be moved toward and away from the surface of the cylinder. It will be observed from an inspection of Figure 6 that the post there shown includes a reduced portion 4 la. at one end which is received within an aperture formed in one end of a bracket 42, this bracket extending horizontally and its outer end being so formed that it snugly engages a portion of the adjacent side frame of the press, being secured to this side frame portion by means of a bolt 43, assisted by a locating pin 44 rigid with the frame and which enters recess 45 formed in the bracket. A pin 46 passing through the end of bracket 42 and the engaged end of the associated post ll maintains the post in fixed relationship with respect to the bracket and press frame at all times.

At its opposite end post 4| is provided with a reduced axial extension 41 which is threaded by means of which it may be rotated. The annular flange 49 of nut 48 is at all times disposed within an arcuate slot 5| formed in the block 38 so that, by rotating nut 48, the blade carrier and scraping blade may be moved toward or away from the ink drum l2. Forward movement of the blade will, of course, be limited by the drum, the movement being continued until the blade is flexed to the desired extent. Rearward movement of the blade holder and blade will be lim ited by contact between nuts 48 and snap rings 52, there being one such snap ring afiixed to the outer end of each threaded post extension 41. It will be appreciated, of course, that, in order to prevent binding, the nuts 48 for advancing and retracting the blade holder and blade should be simultaneously and equally revolved by the operator.

Forward movement of the blade holder and blade may be definitely limited, if desired, by a stop screw such as the stop screw 60 most clearly illustrated in Figures 3 and 5, screw 60 being adjustably mounted upon the block 38, its head 69a being contained in a recess formed in an extension of the block, and the forward end of the screw being disposed to strike the rearwardly facing end surface of a boss 62 which forms portion of the supporting bracket 42. A lock nut 63 is associated with each screw 69, to prevent accidental movement of the screw. When the adjustable stop means is fixed in desired position the attendant may advance the blade holder and blade rapidly until the screws 60 contact the associated abutment members 62 whereupon the blade edge is in desired position with respect to the surface of the drum.

To prevent accidental tilting of the blade holder each post is provided with a pin 4lb which projects to each side thereof, the projecting ends of these pins being received in slots 38b formed in the blade holder, this structure being most clearly shown in Figures 6 and 8.

As shown in Figures 1 and 3 the roller I4 is provided with axial extensions l4a of reduced diameter and each of these extensions is rotatably received within a bearing forming part of an assembly A mounted upon the free end of a swinging arm B. Each assembly A includes a horizontally projecting trunnion 65 upon which is rotatably mounted a block 66. The lower end of a vertically disposed rod 61 is secured to block 66 and the upper end thereof passes through an aperture in bracket member 68 which is affixed to the frame. A coiled spring 10, normally under compression, bears against block 66 and the under surface of bracket 68, thus pressing roller [4 against roller IS. A nut 1| threaded upon the upper end of rod 61 may be adjusted to obtain the desired degree of pressure between rollers 14 and I5.

The apparatus described may be modified in certain of its details without sacrifice of advantage, in adapting the same to presses which vary in type and design.

Having thus described the invention, what is new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for removing ink from the entire surface of an inking roll of a printing press comprising a blade holder, an elongated transversely flexible blade mounted upon said holder, and flexible stiffening elements engaging the blade adjacent the ends thereof respectively, whereby the resistance of the end portions of the blade to transverse fiexure is increased, the major portion of the blade, intermediate said stiffening elements, being free to flex transversely.

2. Apparatus for removing ink from the entire surface of an inking roll of a printing press comprising a blade holder, an elongated transversely flexible blade mounted upon said holder, and a relatively narrow strip of flexible material rigidly secured to the blade adjacent each end thereof, said strips increasing the resistance of the end portions of the blade to transverse flexure.

3. Inking apparatus for a printing press or the like comprising an inking roll, ablade holder, and a transversely flexible blade adapted to engage the surface of said roll and scrape the ink therefrom, said blade being longer than the surface of the cylinder engaged thereby and stifily flexible elements engaging and transversely supporting the blade at the ends thereof, whereby the blade ends are rendered more resistant to transverse flexure than the body there- WILLARD M. POLLOCK. ARTHUR W. SEJECK.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

